Family Dentistry

Dr. Falkin is pleased to provide you with preventative services to keep your smile bright and healthy for the rest of your life. Most serious dental problems can be prevented with routine cleanings and check ups. ADA recommends that you see your dentist every six months for your
cleaning and biannual check up. Patients suffering from gum disease will need to be seen more often. They should be monitored more closely and seen every three months. During your exam Dr. Falkin will evaluate the health of each tooth and assess if there are any problems caused by cracks, decay, or infection. She will check your existing restorations and dental work. There will also be an evaluation done of your soft tissues to check for oral cancer. Your bite and jaw joints will be examined and measurements of your gum pockets will be taken to determine your periodontal gum health. Dr. Falkin will share
all the exam findings with you and develop a treatment plan strategy for any issues that have been diagnosed. In addition to your dental exam, your semi-annual cleaning will include a gentle removal of plaque and tartar from your teeth. Plaque is the sticky film that collects on your teeth, made up of bacteria and toxins. When plaque hardens and calcifies it forms into tartar. Regular brushing with a toothbrush will not remove tartar. You must have it professionally cleaned with special dental instruments to prevent gum swelling and periodonal disease. Untreated periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. Yet if caught early, it can be treated conservatively and without surgery via periodontal therapy. Next, your teeth will be professionally polished to remove any plaque and stains. They will look brighter and feel smooth and slick. As a final step, we will floss around each tooth, leaving your breath fresh and clean. We will review brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning techniques with you.

Additional preventative services that we can provide include placement of sealants to prevent cavities from forming on the chewing surfaces of your teeth.

If it has been a while or you are due for your check up, give us a call to schedule a convenient appoinmnent for you and your child. We recommend children to start their visits to the dentist at age 3.

Periodonal disease is a bacterial infection that invades the gums and the supporting bone and causes inflammation. Did you know that bacteria living in your mouth can spread beyond your mouth and enter your entire body?
The health of your mouth has an interconnected effect on the overall health and wellbeing of your body. Our periodontal therapy will help to eliminate bacteria in your mouth and it will improve your overall health. Research shows that 90% of disease conditions are linked to dental health and include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, increased rates of cancers of the mouth, lungs, and leukemia, complications during pregnancy, osteoporosis. There are several risk factors that increase your chances of developing gum disease which include genetic predisposition, poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, stress, grinding your teeth, some medications, immune system problems, and nutritional deficiencies. Initially we treat gum disease with scaling and root planing therapy, medications, and hygiene instructions. When the case is more severe surgery may be required. Prevention is always the best medicine and if caught early enough your periodontal disease may be reversible without surgery. Since gum disease is rather silent, you may not even know that you have it until the later stage of progression because there is no discomfort. To keep your good health the best treatment advice to follow is to see your dentist for a biannual exam, periodontal evaluation and assesment.

Most people try hard and take great care of their teeth so they can last them forever. No one wants to hear that they have to loose a tooth. It is always our goal to save teeth whenever it is possible yet there are certain situations when it may not be feasible. Dr. Falkin may recommend a tooth extraction for a tooth that is damaged by extensive decay. Some baby teeth are just plain stubborn and require a little assistance because they refuse to come out on their own. A few other reasons for needing an extraction would include a hopeless nonrestorable tooth that may have a vertical crack or a periodontally involved tooth. We also extract teeth for braces to make room for proper teeth alignment. Wisdom teeth or third molars may need removal too especially if they are decayed or infected. It is normal to feel a little apprehensive yet there is nothing to fear. The more you know the less anxious you will feel. Dr. Falkin can give you nitrous oxide inhalation sedation to help you relax. Then she will numb the area so you will not feel any discomfort. You will only be able to feel pressure, which is normal. She will perform your simple extraction with gentleness and great care. There are times when a patient may benefit from using a surgical approach to an extraction. When the roots are curved or the tooth is fragile, sectioning the tooth into pieces and removing one piece at a time can make removal of your tooth quicker and less eventful. Dr. Falkin and her team will be there for you to support and encourage you and your family. If you or your child needs an extraction please contact our office to arrange for a consultation.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency call our office and we will make sure that you get the immediate help that you need.

Most organized sports require participants to have mouthguards to prevent brain injury, dental trauma, and lacerations. Dr. Falkin can make you a well fitted and comfortable custom mouthguard. Mouthguards can help in preventing brain concussions by creating a space between the TMJ
and the base of your skull. This protective space prevents shockwaves from reaching the brain when the jaw is accidentally slammed into the skull. American Dental Association recommends that all contact sports make use of a mouthguard. A custom fitted mouthguard will stay in place better than the ones you
can purchase in various sizes at the store. The loss or fracture of a single tooth will cost a lot more than a professionally made mouthguard. We make mouthguards for the following sports: Football, Soccer, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Boxing, Volleyball, Softball, Bicycling, Skateboarding, gymnastics, martial arts, racquetball, and a few more. Call us today to get fitted for your custom mouthguard.

For your complete comfort during dental procedures we offer inhalation sedation - Nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide/relaxing gas also known as laughing gas is a safe and effective means to ease your anxiety. You just breathe it in through a mask that is placed over your nose and in a few
minutes you will feel calm and serene. After receiving nitrous oxide sedation patients can drive themselves home. Not recommended for patients that are pregnant. In our dedication to your dental health we provide this service to you complimentary with any dental procedure.

Sometimes the nerve inside your tooth becomes infected or dies and if you desire to save the tooth we will recommend root canal treatment. Root canals are easily and comfortably performed in our office and many are done in a single visit. During your treatment we will often use a
piece of equipment called Root ZX. It is a measuring device that allows us to locate the tip or apex of your root and greatly decreases the numberof x-rays we have to take during treatment. It makes you root canal treatment safer, better, and faster.

Do you have a dental emergency?

Call us as soon as possible and we will do our best to see you the same day.